“Too Curious” (Poem)

Hey, y’all!

National Poetry Month is here! Each day, I follow the poetry prompts on napowrimo.net.

Todays prompt: They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but they never said you can’t try to write a poem based on a book cover. I picked this book cover:

Here’s the poem:

TOO CURIOUS

By Farah Lawal Harris, © 2023

They asked where

the resilience came from.

Too curious.

I dug deep, past

fragrant flowers budding

all over me, past

thorny stems and healthy,

fertilized soil,

to my roots:

Yoruba chiefs,

captured by slavers, then released,

legacy, currency, history.

My roots—

parents who love ‘til it hurts,

hard working,

always praying, giving, living

in my heart and tongue.

And my life:

often feeling outside and other,

often feeling like the only one

acknowledging my pretty

was me,

often proving and perfecting,

over stressing,

but always learning, loving,

surrounded by love,

supported, mentored,

applauded, appreciated.

My life—

marred by trauma,

but the scars were painted over;

in their place,

an eye-catching mural.

Behind the black curtain

lie my seeds:

my sweet child,

enhanced reflection of me;

words spoken to the youth I teach.

Behind the black curtain,

my future unseen,

but prophesied and believed.

Too curious,

you open the cover

and start to read.